Steam
by savvypen
Summary: Sacrificing herself so Aang and Sokka could escape, Katara is captured by Admiral Zhao and his crew of soldiers. Receiving information about Zhao's new prisoner, Zuko plans a invasion of the Admiral's ship to capture the Avatar and regain his honor. Much to his surprise, he finds a bender from the Southern Water Tribe instead. What happens when fire and water mix? (Zutara)


Author's Note: Hello dear reader, thanks for clicking on my story. Just a heads up, this chapter contains some violence and sexual assault. The "M" rating will come into play later with some sexually explicit scenes between our two favorite characters. If that's something that you're not into, turn back now. One more thing, this fic is going to be a slow burn. If you're looking for some instant Zutara action, this may not be the story for you. But if you decide to stick with me, I have some great ideas in store. Enjoy!

* * *

"Sokka, get Aang out of here! I'll hold them off!" Katara commanded the order at her older brother as she fought against the crew of Admiral Zhao. She was only 17, but she was already one of the Water Tribe's master benders. One master waterbender couldn't defeat a ship full of the Fire Nation's best, though. She wasn't naive enough to believe she would win this battle. But she wasn't thinking about this battle; She was focused on winning the war.

"I won't leave you, Katara!" Sokka shouted back with the unconscious Avatar in his arms.

The traveling companions had been camping on the river on their way to the Earth Kingdom capitol, Ba Sing Sae, when they were attacked by the Admiral Zhao and his men. The trio had fought hard, holding their own for most of the battle. That was until Zhao himself had snuck up behind Aang, delivering one powerful shot that knocked the boy out. Without the Avatar's help, Katara was quickly losing ground to the powerful firebenders. She knew the only way for Aang and Sokka to avoid capture was for her to hold off the soldiers while the boys escaped.

"Sokka, for once in your life just listen to me without arguing! You have to leave! Now!"

Sokka's shoulders fell in defeat. He didn't want to leave his sister, but he knew she was right. Aang could not be captured by the Fire Nation, no matter the cost. Escaping without Katara today could mean victory when Aang finally mastered all the elements.

As Sokka dragged Aang onto Appa, he vowed to rescue his sister when they recovered from today's injuries.

Katara watched Appa rise into the air from her place in the river. As they disappeared into the night sky, she battled conflicting emotions. While she was relieved Aang and Sokka had managed to escape, part of her was hurt her brother actually left her. Had the roles been reversed, she wasn't sure she could've flown away without her older sibling.

_No,_ she told herself, _I can't dwell on that right now. I must make it out of this alive if I ever want to see them again._

Using the simple wave form from the scroll she had stolen a before her visit to the Northern Water Tribe, Katara sent towering waves slamming down onto Zhao's soldiers and crashing into the warship. She knew her capture was inventible, but hell if she wasn't going to go down swinging. Without the third quarter moon shining brightly overhead, she wouldn't have been able to last this long so outnumbered.

The subsequent escape of the Avatar and the amount of damage done to his crew and vessel by one young waterbender filled Zhao's vision with a red rage. This one girl would not derail his entire operation. Careful to stay on the riverbank and out of the water, the Admiral channeled all his aggression into his bending. He watched as a large ball of fire smacked into the girl from behind, scorching her back and left arm.

Katara whipped around, howling in pain. The rage of the man twenty yards away traveled off of him in waves of fire, his eyes shining crimson like two angry suns. She was surrounded, injured, alone. Water from the river surged up her arms, forming two massive water whips, but the injury she just sustained kept her from fighting to her full potential. Every swing of her charred left arm sent black spots to her vision.

_Don't pass out. Don't pass out. Don't pass out. _With every lash of her whips, Katara chanted the mantra to herself, but she felt her energy draining. The fight would soon be over. The Avatar was no longer in sight on the horizon, so all the firebenders focused their attention on her. The fire was coming too fast from every direction. There was no way she could fight twenty regular benders at once, let alone masters of the art.

In a last attempt at protection, Katara took a gulp of air and encased herself in a large bubble of water, much like the one she and her brother had discovered Aang in all those months ago. She struggled to maintain her bending as the soldiers formed a circle around her, bombarding her with scorching blasts from every side. Her protective sphere gave her a short reprieve from the attacks, but the water was nearly boiling now. The heat grew too intense for her to maintain concentration, and the bubble rained back down into the river. Zhao's mouth pulled back in a smirk as he delivered the battle's final blow, rendering the waterbender unconscious.

"Take her to the hold," his deep voice commanded the men. "The Avatar may have escaped this time, but he will be back for my prize." With one last glance at the waterbender floating in the river, he marched up the gangplank to reevaluate his next moves.

* * *

Katara woke with a hard, cold surface beneath her blistered back. Blinking, She tried to make out the room around her, but the darkness prevented her from seeing much. From what she could tell, she was in some sort of metal cell, complete with no windows and one heavy door with a barred hole shedding the room's only light. By the slow rocking, she concluded she was on a ship, presumably Zhao's, but with no windows outside, she had no way of knowing the time of day, let alone how long she had been out. But by the stiffness in her neck, she guessed she had been laying on this floor for at least a day.

The waterbender groaned as she sat up, assessing the rest of her body for damages. Her back was severely burned, at least second degree she assumed, and the sharp pain on her left side that resulted from inhaling told her she probably had a broken rib as well.

_Great_, she thought_, the burn I can heal once I find some water, but the rib will have to heal on its own._ She had learned from her teachers in the North Pole that her healing abilities were useful against external wounds, but the technique was limited when it came to internal ailments and diseases. At most, she would only be able to reduce the inflammation to the area, but doing so would risk a punctured lung.

Her head whipped to the door as heavy root falls sounded in the area beyond her cell. A man's face blocked most of the available light to the cold room as he peered in.

"Ah, you're awake. I'll go tell the Admiral that he can begin his... questioning," His gravelly voice boomed through the small cell. The way he paused before the word "questioning" sent a shiver down Katara's spine.

"Wait!" She hollered, "what do you mean 'Questioning'?"

She heard the man snicker as he made his way further from her cell. "You're not in the Water Tribe anymore, little girl."

Her pulse quickened at his words. What did Zhao have in store for her? Rape? Torture? His efforts would be in vain, because she would die before she revealed any information about Aang's whereabouts, but it was what could happen before she died that worried her the most. What would she have to endure before they finally put her out of her misery? Afterall, they didn't actually need her alive to use as bait. The simple fact that they had taken her would be enough for Sokka and Aang to devise a rescue mission to save her. Neither of the boys was level headed enough to consider these consequences. With this realization, she desperately hoped they didn't come after her, rendering her sacrifice useless.

She tried to stand, wanting to put on a brave face for what was to come. Katara was a proud member of the Water Tribe, and before the end of the day, these men would know that, no matter their plans for her. The rocking of the ship and the severity of her pain made her sway for a moment, but she stood firm, refusing to show any unnecessary weakness to these horrible men.

Several footsteps sounded in the distance as they made their way closer to her cell.

"Oh, good you're up," the first soldier commented with a smirk as he peered his way through the bars. "We thought we were going to have to carry you there too."

The implication that she would need to be carried back to her cell after the Admiral was finished with her did not slip Katara's notice. She resolved then and there that these men would not break her. If she was conscious at the end of her "questioning" she would walk herself back to her own cell, no matter what.

Keys jingled in the lock as the door swung open, giving way to four men. Two entered the cell with a pair of manacles and quickly secured her hands behind her back.

The older of the two men ran a dirty fingernail over the exposed blisters on her back causing her to hiss in pain.

"It's too bad they've already marred your flesh. I prefer my conquests to be unblemished," his hot, smelly breath sounded in her ear. Gooseflesh rose on her arms as his vulgar words tickled her neck.

"That's enough. Admiral Zhao was clear that the girl belonged to him," a man in the doorway spoke with authority. Thankful, Katara turned her gaze to the new voice. This man looked different than the others. He was noticeably younger and leaner, his build less of a soldier and more akin to that of a master bender. He was wearing the Fire Nation's version of monk attire, which made Katara instantly wary of him. The other men may be physically larger than her, but this man was clearly of a higher rank and much more dangerous.

The nasty man sneered at the monk, "She may be his now, Akeno, but he will be done with her soon enough."

"Be that as it may, you will abide by the Admiral's orders until informed otherwise." Akeno's cold tone and authoritative stare told Katara she was right about her initial judgement of the man.

She didn't struggle as the two soldiers led her out into the hallway beyond her door. She chose to pick her battles; she didn't know her way around the ship, and she didn't want to give the nasty man any excuses to touch her more. She had the suspicion that he enjoyed the chase as much as the actual capture. Once out of the cell, Akeno stepped up and quickly jabbed his skilled fingers in several points down her body, rendering her already bound arms jelly. At the firebender's touch, she felt the ever-present flow of her bending through her body abruptly dam.

At her alarmed expression, he explained, "Pressure points to block to flow of Chi throughout the body. The method temporally removes your ability to bend, should you get any funny ideas."

Katara was in a state of shock. She had never heard of such a thing before. Without her bending, she had no way to defend herself. The guards pulled her forward to a set of stairs leading up, and she deeply regretted her decision not to try to escape before she was cuffed.

They led her up through the ship, but try as she might, the worry over the loss of her bending made it impossible to focus on creating a mental layout of the boat. After what must have been ten minutes of twisting and turning through halls and climbing staircases, Akeno finally knocked on an ornate door that awaited before the party. Katara squared her shoulders and tried to focus on the task at hand: do not let them break you.

The door was yanked open to reveal Admiral Zhao, cleaned up from the fight and wearing an expression that Katara could only describe as serpentine. This man was absolutely slimy. She saw in his eyes that he would stop at nothing to get what he desired. Her earlier resolution might be more difficult than she originally anticipated.

"Ah, yes," He purred, "our newest prisoner. How delightful. Please lead her in Commander Akeno. Everyone else is dismissed." The other three solders bowed and turned on their heels to go, but not before the nasty one slid a greedy hand over Katara's backside. Rage ignited in her chest as she entered what she assumed to be Zhao's office. The man who dared to touch her would pay. He did not know who he was dealing with.

The Admiral leveled her with a poisonous gaze as the door swung shut behind her. "Now, _waterbender_," venom oozed from his words, "we can do this the easy way or the hard way. The easy way ends with you telling me everything you know about the Avatar and walking away with little to no permanent damage. The hard way ends with you telling me everything you know about the Avatar and your very painful demise. Which will it be?"

Though his speech chilled her to her very core, his tone was almost bored, like he was taunting her with how little consequence she was to him. Katara forced her expression to remain neutral. She would not show him how rattled she was by the whole situation. She would not let him best her.

"Well, Admiral Zhao, I suppose you've given me no choice. I know how this arrangement ends, and it's not with your capture of Aang."

She could tell her answer, the possibility of her blood spilling, excited him. But not as much as her fear and confession would have.

_Good. I still have the upper hand, no matter how bleak._

"Commander, remove her smock and tie her to the wall," Zhao clipped in an commanding tone.

"Right away, Sir."

Akeno did not hesitate as he undid her manacles and tied her up facing the wall with her wrists attached to a hook above her head. With her arms still uncooperative from the quick work he made of her pressure points earlier, Katara couldn't fight him if she wanted to. It seemed her only weapon in this battle would be her resolve. She watched him over her shoulder as he took out his knife and began to cut what was left of her water tribe dress away from her burnt skin. As she looked at his face, though, she could swear she saw a flicker of sympathy flash through his features, but it was gone so fast she couldn't be sure.

When he was finished, Akeno and Zhao stood behind her admiring their combined handywork. Luckily, her modesty was spared by her leggings and what remained of her bindings from where she was burned before her capture. In the state they were in though, she wasn't sure how much longer the latter would last.

"Let's begin, shall we. Where is the Avatar," the Admiral's eager words cut through the tense silence.

Katara felt a tongue of fire lash out and whip her already tender back. She clinched her fists and gritted her teeth against the sudden assault; she would not give this horrible man the satisfaction of her screams.

The waterbender's silence was rewarded with two more lashings of what she could only assume was a whip made of fire, similar to the water whips she could produce with her own bending.

"You might as well kill me now. I will never betray Aang," Katara hissed through a clinched jaw.

"And miss the fun of the interrogation, my dear? I think not. I so rarely get to do my own dirty work now that I've been promoted to Admiral." Three more lashes tore through the flesh on her back.

* * *

Katara woke again some time later back in her cell. The cold metal floor against her bare breasts contrasted the heat radiating from her scorched back. She remembered that her bindings had finally torn through as a result of the whipping courtesy of Zhao. She was relieved, however, to feel her leggings still hugging the lower half of her body. Her virginity was still intact, but she wasn't sure how much longer it would last now that she wouldn't be able to defend herself due to her injuries.

She must have passed out at some point, because she didn't remember how she got back to her cell. Disappointed at the fact that someone carried her back like she swore to herself wouldn't happen, Katara decided to reevaluate her goals. She didn't crack under the Admiral's pressure. It seemed that would have to suffice for now.

She scanned the room, moving her throbbing back as little as possible, and noticed someone had thought to give her a new set of bindings for her breasts, not that she could possibly use them with the state her back was in. Regardless, she wondered who might've done that? Akeno? She Thought she saw a look of pity as he cut away her dress. Maybe someone was looking out for her in this hell.

She needed water. Not for bending, she couldn't even think about trying to escape in her current condition, no she was dehydrated. Her blood felt thick and sluggish as it pumped through her veins and oozed down her back. She couldn't remember the last time she had anything to drink. It was before her capture. How long ago was that? Days?

"Please," Her voice croaked out in a hoarse whisper, "water."

She saw the shadow of a person appear in the light cast through the small window in the door.

"No water for you, _bender," _ she recognized the sneer of the original soldier, "the Admiral says you're to be dried out. You're only to be given crackers." With that, she heard the _thump_ of several objects hitting the floor. Turning her head just enough to see, she saw three burnt pieces of bread crumbling on the floor of her cell.

_Great, if Zhao doesn't kill me, dehydration will._

* * *

"Nephew, your scouts have returned with some important news. Perhaps you will join me for some tea before you meet with them. It is a new blend I have been working on, and I believe I have finally perfected the mixture," Iroh cheerfully informed the young Fire Prince.

Zuko resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the old man, "Not now, Uncle. If the news is important enough for my scouts to send you to inform me this early, I need to meet with them now." The prince rushed out the door of his quarters and made his way onto his ship's deck. Standing before him were the three scouts he sent to track down the location of the Avatar. They all bowed before they relayed the news.

"Prince Zuko, we have intelligence that three days ago Admiral Zhao and his crew had a battle with the Avatar. They took a prisoner aboard his vessel and are headed for the Fire Nation Capital, sir."

Zuko's heart leapt at this news. This was the first he had heard of the Avatar's whereabouts in months.

"Nice work, men. Assemble a covert team to retrieve the Avatar from Zhao. We leave at sunset."

Before the men could bow again, Zuko turned on his heal and quickly returned to his quarters. Finally, after all this time, he would be returning home. He would be in the Fire Nation with the Avatar by the end of the week if all went according to plan.

The Prince took a few calming breaths to steady his nerves and felt his inner fire smolder in response. It was time for his old friend to come out of retirement.

Zuko smiled down at the blue mask in his hands.


End file.
